4 nourishing recipes to aid your chemo recovery

Published: 04 Oct 2017

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One thing we often mention on this blog is the link between what you eat and how well your body is fuelled for fighting cancer.

While so-called ‘superfoods’ may not be the magic ingredient that many people hope they are – take a look at our myth-busting superfoods blog for more information - eating a nutritionally rich, balanced diet will play an important part in your recovery.

This is particularly true when you’ve been through a grueling dose of chemotherapy. Your immune system is under strain as it battles to kill off the cancerous cells in your body.

However, while you might know that it’s important to eat healthily during chemo, we fully appreciate that complex cooking is often the last thing on your mind when you’ve finished your latest round of treatment.

That’s why we’ve pulled together a selection of four quick and easy-to-make meals that are also packed with vitamins and minerals, to help you eat healthily with minimum effort.

Recipe 1: healthy chicken stir-fry

Stir-frying food is an effective way to pack in loads of vegetable content to a meal while minimizing prep time.

This recipe uses chicken, which is a great source of protein: an essential foodstuff for fighting infection, strengthening the immune system, and helping your body to circulate medication. Perfect for a post-chemotherapy pick-me-up.

Recipe 2: cardamom & orange overnight oats

If you struggle to find the strength to make breakfast in the morning, this fruity recipe can be prepared the night before.

It’s great for chemo recovery as oats and seeds are an excellent source of wholegrain goodness – which can help with constipation, a common side effect of chemotherapy – and offer slow release energy to keep you going for several hours.

Recipe 4: baked apples

If you have a sweet tooth, these baked apples will hit the spot and are much healthier than many other desserts, although they do contain a little brown sugar.

Oven cooking is a low maintenance way to prepare food, and apples are a great source of vitamin C, which some studies have shown can help the performance of chemotherapy drugs.

If you’re in a food rut or you’re struggling to find the motivation to eat healthily during and after chemotherapy, take a look at your favorite cookery websites for some quick and easy recipe inspiration.

And if you have any non-fuss recipes you love, please share them on our Facebook Page for others to try out.

These are just a few tried and tested recipes to give you some inspiration. But please take care – they may not be suitable for everyone subject to allergies and intolerances. Plus, it’s advisable to check with your health care professional for a list of foods you should avoid whilst undergoing chemo treatment.